And, if you love me, as you say you do, Let me persuade you to forbear a while. [soul!- K. Henry. Oh, how this discord doth afflict my Can you, my lord of Winchester, behold My sighs and tears, and will not once relent? Who should be pitiful, if you be not? Or who should study to prefer a peace, If holy churchmen take delight in broils? War. My lord protector, yield;- Winchester;-
Win. As will th
K. Henry. If But all the whole That doth belong From whence yo Rich. Thy hun 10 And humble serv
K. Henry. Stoop And, in reguerdon I gird thee with t Rise, Richard, lik 15 And rise created
Except you mean, with obstinate repulse, To slay your sovereign, and destroy the realm. You see what mischief, and what murder too, Hath been enacted through your enmity; Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood. Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield. 20 Glo.Compassionontheking commandsme stoop; Or, I would see his heart out, ere the priest Should ever get that privilege of me.
War. Behold, my lord of Winchester, the duke Hath banish'd moody discontented fury, As by his smoothed brows it doth appear: Why look you still so stern, and tragical? Glo. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand. K. Henry. Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach,
That malice was a great and grievous sin: And will not you maintain the thing you teach, But prove a chief offender in the same? [gird'.-
War. Sweet king!-the bishop hath a kindly For shame, my lord of Winchester! relent; What, shall a child instruct you what to do? Win. Well, duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give.
Rich. And so th And as my duty s That grudge one All. Welcome,
of York! Som. Perish, base
Glo. Now will i To cross the seas, a 25 The presence of a Amongst his subjec As it disanimates h K. Henry. Whe For friendly couns
Exe. Ay, we ma Not seeing what is This late dissention 35 Burns under feigne
Glo. Ay; but I fear me, with a hollow heart.- See here, my friends, and loving countrymen; 40 This token serveth for a flag of truce Betwixt ourselves, and all our followers: So help me God, as I dissemble not!
Win. [Aside.] So help me God, as I intend it K. Henry. Oloving uncle, kind duke of Gloster, 45 How joyful I am made by this contract !Away, my masters! trouble us no more; But join in friendship, as your lords have done. 1 Serv. Content; I'll to the surgeon's. 2 Serc. So will I.
3 Serv. And I will see what physic The tavern affords.
War.Acceptthisscrowl,most gracious sovereign; Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your majesty. [sweet prince, 55 Glo. Well urg'd, my lord of Warwick;-for, An if your grace mark every circumstance, You have great reason to do Richard right: Especially, for those occasions
At Elthani-place I told your majesty.
K. Henry. And those occasions, uncle, were of Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is,
A kindly gird is a gentle or friendly reproof. pagate itself, and advance,
And will at last bre As fester'd member 'Till bones, and fles So will this base and And now I fear that Which, in the time Was in the mouth o That Henry, born at And Henry, born at Which is so plain, th His days may finish
Enter Joan la Pucelle
sacks upon their Pucel. These are the Through which ourp Take heed, be wary Talk like the vulgar That come to gather If we have entrance, And that we find the I'll by a sign give no That Charles the Dau
1 Sol. Our sacks sha And we be lords and Therefore we'll knoc
Pucel. Paisans pauvres gens de France: Poor market-folks, that come to sell their corn. Watch. Enter, go in; the market-bell is rung. Pucel. Now, Roan, I'll shake thy bulwarks to the ground. [Exeunt. Enter Dauphin, Bastard, and Alençon. Dau. Saint Denis bless this happy stratagem! And once again we'll sleep secure in Roan. Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practisants': 10 Now she is there, how will she specify
Where is the best and safest passage in? Reig. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower; Which,oncediscern'd,shews,thathermeaningis,-- Noway to that, for weakness, which she enter'd. 15 Enter Joan la Pucelle on a battlement, thrusting out a torch burning.
Pucel. Behold, this is the happywedding torch, That joineth Roan unto her countrymen; But burning fatal to the Talbotites.
Bast. See, noble Charles! the beacon of our The burning torch in yonder turret stands. Dau. Now shine it like a comet of revenge, A prophet to the fall of all our foes!
Reig. Defernotime, Delayshavedangerousends; 25 Eater, and cry-The Dauphin!-presently, And then do execution on the watch.
[An alarum; Talbot in an excursion. Tal. France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy If Talbot but survive thy treachery;- [tears, 30 Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress, Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares, Thathardly we escap'd the pride 3 of France. [Exit. An alarum: excursions. Enter Bedford brought| in sick, in a chair, with Talbot and Burgundy, 33 without. Within, Joan la Pucelle, Dauphin, Bastard, and Alençon, on the Walls. Pucel. Good morrow, gallants; want ye corn for bread?,
If Talbot de but follow, rain will follow.- [Talbot, and the rest, whisper together in council. Godspeedtheparliament! who shall be the speaker? Tal. Dare ye come forth,and meet us in the field? Pucel. Belike, your lordship takes us then for To try if that our own be ours, or no. [fools. Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecate, But unto thee, Alençon, and the rest; Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out? Alen. Signior, no.
Tal. Signior,hang!-base muleteers of France! Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls, And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.
Pucel. Captains,away: let's get us from thewalls; For Talbot means no goodness, by his looks.-God be wi' you, my lord! we came, sir, but to tell you
[Exeunt from the walls. Tal. And there will we be too, ere it be long, Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame !- Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house, (Prick'd on by public wrongs,sustain'd in France) Either to get the town again, or die: And I,-as sure as English Henry lives, And as his father here was conqueror; As sure as in this late-betrayed town Great Coeur-de-Lion's heart was buried; So sure I swear, to get the town, or die. [vows. Burg. My vows are equal partners with thy Tal. But, ere we go, regard this dying prince, The valiant duke of Bedford:-Come, my lord, We will bestow you in some better place, Fitter for sickness, and for crazy age.
Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me: Here will I sit before the walls of Roan, And will be partner of your weal or woe. [you. Burg. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade Bed. Not to be gone from hence; for once I read, That stout Pendragon, in his litter, sick, 40 Came to the field, and vanquished his foes*: Methinks, I should revive the soldiers' hearts, Because I ever found them as myself.
I think, the duke of Burgundy will fast, Before he'll buy again at such a rate: 'Twas full of darnel; Do you like the taste? Burg.Scoffon, vilefiend,andshamelesscourtezan! I trust, ere long, to choak thee with thine own, And make thee curse the harvest of that corn. 45 Dau. Your grace may starve, perhaps, before that time. [treason!
Bed. Oh, let no words, but deeds, revenge this Pucel. What will you do, good grey-beard? break a lance,
And run a tilt at death within a chair? Tal. Foulfiendof France, andhag of all despight, Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours! Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age, And twit with cowardice a man half dead? Damsel, I'll have a bout with you again, Or else let Talbot perish with this shame. Pucel. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace;
Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast!- Then be it so:-Heavens keepold Bedford safe!→ And now no more ado, brave Burgundy, But gather we our forces out of hand, And set upon our boasting enemy.
[Exeunt Burgundy, Talbot, and forces. An alarum: excursions. Enter Sir John Fastolfe, and a Captain.
Cap. Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such
Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight; We are like to have the overthrow again.
55 Cap. What! will you fly,and leave lord Talbot? Fast. Ay,
All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. [Exit. Cap. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee! [Exit.
1Practice, in the language of that time, was treachery, and perhaps, in the softer sense, stratagem. Practisants are therefore confederates in stratagems. That is, no way equal to that. 3 Pride *This hero was Uther Pendragon, brother to Aurelius, and father
There goes the Ta And all the troops
Now, in the rerew 10 Fortune, in favour Summon a parley,
What is the trust or strength of foolish man? They, that of late were daring with their scoffs, Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves. [Dies, and is carried off in his chair. An alarum. Enter Talbot, Burgundy, and the rest. Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again! This is a double honour, Burgundy:- Yet, heaven have glory for this victory! Burg. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument. [now? Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle 15 I think her old familiar is asleep: [gleeks: Now where's the Bastard's braves, and Charles his What, all a-mort? Roan hangs her head for grief, That such a valiant company are fled. Now will we take some order in the town, Placing therein some expert officers; And then depart to Paris, to the king; For there young Henry, with his nobles, lies. Burg. WhatwillslordTalbot,pleaseth Tal. But yet, before we go, let's not forget The noble duke of Bedford, late deceas'd, But see his exequies fulfill'd in Roan: A braver soldier never couched lance,
A gentler heart did never sway in court:
Enter the Duke Dau. A parley Burg. Who crav Pucel. The prin
countrym Burg. What say Dau. Speak, Pu thy word
Pucel. Brave Bu Stay, let thy humb Burg. Speak on Pucel. Look on And see the cities an By wasting ruin of As looks the mothe When death doth d See, see, the pining
But kings, and mightiest potentates, must die; 30 Behold the wounds, For that's the end of human misery. [Exeunt.
SCENE III.
The same. The Plain near the City.
Enter the Dauphin, Bastard, Alençon, and Joan la Pucelle.
Pucel. Dismay not, princes, at this accident, Nor grieve that Roan is so recovered: Care is no cure, but rather corrosive, For things that are not to be remedy'd. Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while, And like a peacock sweep along his tail; We'll pull his plumes, and take away his train, If Dauphin, and the rest, will be but rul'd.
Dau. We have been guided by thee hitherto, And of thy cunning had no diffidence; One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.
Which thou thyself Oh, turn thy edged Strike those that hurt Onedropofblood, dra 35 Should grieve thee Return thee,therefor And wash away thy Burg. Either she Or nature makes m 40 Pucel. Besides, all Doubting thy birth a Whom join'st thou w That will not trust t When Talbot hath s 45 And fashion'd thee
Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, And we will make thee famous through the world. Alen. We'll set thy statue in some holy place, And have thee reverenc'd like a blessed saint; 50 Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good. Pucel. Then thus it must be; this doth Joan
By fair persuasions, mix'd with sugar'd words, We will entice the duke of Burgundy To leave the Talbot, and to follow us.
Who then, but Eng And thou be thrust Call weto mind,-an Was not the duke of And was he not in B But, when they hear They set him free, In spite of Burgundy See then! thou fight 55 And join'st with thei Come,come,return; Charles, and the rest, Burg. Iam vanquis Have batter'd melik And made me almos Forgive me, country And, lords, accept th My forces and my p
Dau. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, France were no place for Henry's warriors; Nor should that nation boast it so with us, But be extirped from our provinces. [France, 60 Alen. For ever should they be expuls'd from And not have title of an earldom here. [work, Pucel. Your honours shall perceive how I will
I do remember how my father said, A stouter champion never handled sword. Long since we were resolved of your truth, Your faithful service, and your toil in war; Yet never have you tasted our reward, Or been reguerdon'd' with so much as thanks, Because 'till now we never saw your face: Therefore, stand up; and, for these good deserts, We here create you earl of Shrewsbury; 10 And in our coronation take your place.
and honourable 15 Hearing of your arrival in this realm, [peers,I have a while given truce unto my wars,
To do my duty to my sovereign:
In sign whereof, this arm-that hath reclaim'd To your obedience fifty fortresses,
Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength, Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem,~~ Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet; And, with submissive loyalty of heart, Ascribes the glory of his conquest got, First to my God, and next unto your grace. K. Henry. Is this the lord Talbot, uncle Gloster, That hath so long been resident in France? Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege. K. Henry. Welcome, brave captain, and victo-30 rious lord!
When I was young, (as yet I am not old,)
SCENE I..
Paris. A Room of State.
[Exeunt King, Glo. Tal. Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours 'that I wear In honour of my noble lord of York,- Dar'st thoumaintain theformerwordsthouspak'st? Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage The envious barking of your saucy tongue Against my lord, the duke of Somerset.
Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is. Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York. Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that. [Strikes him.
Bas. Villain, thou know'st, the law of arms
25 That, who so draws a sword', 'tis present death; Or else this blow should broach thydearest blood. But I'll unto his majesty, and crave may have liberty to venge this wrong; When thou shalt see, I'll met thee to thy cost. Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you; And, after, meet you sooner than you would.
Enter King Henry, Gloster, Winchester, York, 40 Suffolk, Somerset, Warwick, Talbot, Exeter, and Governor of Paris.
ORD bishop,set the crown upon his head. Win. God save king Henry, of that name the sixth!
Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,- That you elect no other king but him : Esteein none friends, but such as are his friends; And none your foes, but such as shall pretend Malicious practices against his state: This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! Enter Sir John Fastolfe.
Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from To haste unto your coronation, A letter was deliver'd to my hands,
Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy.
Tal. Shame to the duke of Burgundy and thee! I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, To tear the garter from thy craven's leg.
[plucking it off. (Which I have done) because unworthily Thou wast installed in that high degree.- Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest: This dastard, at the battle of Pataie, 45 When but in all I was six thousand strong, And that the French were almost ten to one,- Before we met, or that a stroke was given, Like to a trusty squire, did run away; In which assault we lost twelve hundred men; 50 Myself, and divers gentlemen beside, Were there surpriz'd, and taken prisoners. Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss; Or whether that such cowards ought to wear This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no. Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, And ill beseeming any common man ;
Dr. Johnson on this passage observes, that the inconstancy of the French was always the subject of satire; and adds, that he has read a dissertation written to prove that the index of the wind upon our steeples was made in form of a cock, to ridicule the French for their frequent changes. i. e rewarded. This was the badge of a rose, and not an officer's scarf. i. e. in the court, or in the presence-chamber. 'i. e. design, or intend. 6 Poictiers has been used by some of the editors; but this gross blunder must be probably imputed to the players or transcribers; for the battle of Poictiers was fought in the year 1357, the 31st of king Edward III. and the scene now lies in the 7th year of the reign of king Henry VI. viz. 1428. The action of which Shakspeare is now speaking, happened (according to Holinshed)"neere unto a village in Beausse called Patare," whichwe should read instead of Poictiers. "From this battell (adds the same historian) departed without anie stroke stricken, Sir John Fastolfe, the same yeere by his valiantlesse elected into the order of the garter. But for doubt of misdealing at this brunt, the duke of Bedford tooke from him the image of St. George and his garter," &c.
Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty' courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, But always resolute in most extremes. He then, that is not furnished in this sort, Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, Profaning this most honourable order; And should (if I were worthy to be judge) Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood. K. Henry. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy doom:
Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight; Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death. [Exit Fastolfe. And now, my lord protector, view the letter Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy. Glo. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd his style?
No more, but plain and bluntly,-To the king?
Hath he forgot, he is his sovereign? Or doth this churlish superscription Pretend some alteration in good will?
What'shere? I have,upon especialcause, [Reads. Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck, Together with the pitiful complaints
First let me know Bas. Crossing th This fellow here, 10 Upbraided me ab Saying, the sangy Did represent my When stubbornly About a certain q 15 Argu'd betwixt t With other vile a In confutation of And in defence of I crave the benefi Ver. And that i For though he see To set a gloss upo Yet know, my lord And he first took Pronouncing that Bewray'd the faint York. Will not t Som. Your private Though ne'er so cu K. Henry. Good in brain-si When, for so slight Such factious emul Good cousins both, Quiet yourselves, I York. Let this dis And then your high Som. The quarrel Betwixt ourselves le York. There is my Ver. Nay, let it r Bas. Confirm it s Glo. Confirm it so And perish ye, with Presumptuous vassal With this immodest To trouble and distu And you, my lords,- To bear with their p Much less, to take o To raise a mutiny b Let me persuade yo Exe. It grieves his
Of such as your oppression feeds upon,- Forsaken your pernicious faction, And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of O monstrous treachery! Can this be so; That in alliance, amity, and oaths, [guile: 35 There should be found such false dissembling K. Henry. What! doth my uncle Burgundy
Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your K. Henry. Is that the worst, this letter doth 40
Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. K. Henry. Why then, lord Talbot there shall
And give him chastisement for this abuse:- My lord, how say you? are you not content? Tal. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am
I should have begg'dI might have been employ'd. K. Henry. Then gather strength, and march 50 unto him straight:
Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treason; And what offence it is, to flout his friends.
Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still, You maybehold confusion of your foes. [Exit Tal. 55 Enter Vernon, and Basset.
Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! Bas. And me,my lord, grant me the combat too! York. This is my servant; Hear him,noble prince! Som. And this is mine; Sweet Henry,favour him! 60 K. Henry. Be patient, lords, and give them leave to speak.-
Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim?
i. e. high. To pretend seems to be here used in its Latin sense, i. e.
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